1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to optical communication equipment and, more specifically, to micro-electromechanical devices for use in such equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical subsystems (e.g., switches, modulators, compensators, and equalizers) in an optical communication system often employ free-space optics (where free space may be vacuum or a volume filled with a fluid, such as gas, vapor, and/or liquid). A representative optical subsystem is assembled from individual optical components and might include an arrayed MEMS device, a diffraction grating, an array of optical fibers, and the like, mounted on a support structure and optically coupled to one another. The optical components need to be appropriately aligned to enable the subsystem to perform its intended optical function.
Even if the components of an optical subsystem are initially well aligned, e.g., at the factory or when the subsystem is deployed, over time, these components might become misaligned due to mechanical movement of the support and mounting structures, aging, optical degradation, and/or variations in ambient temperature and pressure. Disadvantageously, this misalignment might detrimentally affect the quality of optical signals, increase the bit error rate (BER), and/or even completely disable the corresponding subsystem.